US2006048084A1PendingUtilityA1

System and method for repairing timing violations

Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Aug 27, 2004Filed: Aug 27, 2004Published: Mar 2, 2006

Est. expiryAug 27, 2024(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:C. Barney Erick Martin Scott R. Grange

G06F 30/30G06F 2119/12

PatentIndex Score

Cited by

References

Claims

Abstract

One disclosed method for repairing min-time timing violations comprises receiving a circuit design to analyze, analyzing the circuit design to determine if a min-time timing violation is present in the circuit design, and fixing a determined min-time timing violation by replacing an appropriate element of the circuit design with a de-raced element.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

1 . A method for repairing min-time timing violations comprising:
receiving a circuit design to analyze; analyzing said circuit design to determine if a min-time timing violation is present in said circuit design; and fixing a determined min-time timing violation by replacing an appropriate element of said circuit design with a de-raced element.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein said method for repairing is done electronically.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein said step of analyzing to determine if a min-time timing violation is present comprises:
identifying an endpoint associated with said min-time timing violation as a min-time endpoint; identifying at least one element of said circuit design associated with said min-time endpoint; and classifying said element associated with said min-time endpoint as a min-time element.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein said step of fixing a determined min-time timing violation comprises:
analyzing an endpoint associated with said min-time timing violation to determine if said analyzed endpoint is a qualifying endpoint wherein said analyzed endpoint is a qualifying endpoint if said analyzed endpoint satisfies a plurality of conditions; identifying an element that corresponds to said qualifying endpoint as a qualifying element; and replacing said qualifying element with said de-raced element.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein said plurality of conditions comprises:
a condition that requires an endpoint to be an endpoint for a min-time timing violation; a condition that requires said endpoint to contain a sufficient time margin so that an insertion of a de-raced element will not introduce a max-time failure; and a condition that requires said endpoint to not be an endpoint of a circuit element that contains properties such that no other circuit element satisfies said properties.

6 . The method of claim 4 wherein said de-raced element exhibits a functionality similar to a functionality of said qualifying element.

7 . The method of claim 4 wherein said de-raced element includes a delay element selectively arranged for said timing violation.

8 . The method of claim 7 wherein said delay element delays signals at one or more of:
an input data point of said de-raced state element; an enable point of said de-raced state element; and a reset point of said de-raced state element.

9 . The method of claim 4 wherein said de-raced element occupies an area that is similar to an area occupied by said qualifying element that is being replaced.

10 . The method of claim 4 wherein said qualifying element is a state element.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein said de-raced element comprises:
a state element; and a delay element integrated into said state element.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein said state element comprises one or more of:
a latch; and a flip-flop.

13 . The method of claim 4 wherein said qualifying element that is being replaced comprises one or more of:
a latch; and a flip-flop.

14 . The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of:
identifying an element that does not correspond to said qualifying endpoint as non-qualifying element.

15 . The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:
identifying a min-time timing violation associated with said non-qualifying element as a remaining min-time timing violation; and repairing said remaining min-time timing violation.

16 . The method of claim 15 wherein said step of repairing said remaining min-time timing violation comprises:
implementing at least one additional independent delay element into said circuit design.

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein said independent delay element comprises:
a delay buffer.

18 . A system for repairing violations, said system comprising:
a means for analyzing a circuit for the presence of at least one timing violation; a means for identifying an element to replace with a de-raced element to repair said timing violation; and a means for replacing said identified element with said de-raced element.

19 . The system of claim 18 wherein said means for identifying an element comprises:
a means for identifying an endpoint associated with said timing violation; and a means for identifying an element associated with said endpoint.

20 . The system of claim 18 further comprising;
a means for classifying an endpoint as a qualifying endpoint if:
said endpoint is an endpoint corresponding to a min-time timing violation,
said endpoint contains a sufficient time margin so that an insertion of a de-raced element will not introduce a new max-time violation, and
said endpoint does not correspond to an element that comprises characteristics such that another element can not satisfy said characteristics of said element.

21 . The system of claim 20 wherein said means for identifying an element further comprises:
a means for classifying said element corresponding to said qualifying endpoint as a qualifying element.

22 . The system of claim 18 wherein said means for replacing said identified element further comprises:
a means for replacing a qualifying element with said de-raced element wherein said de-raced element comprises:
a replacement element that exhibits the same functionality as the qualifying state element and a delay element integrated therewith.

23 . The system of claim 22 wherein said de-raced state element is configured so that it occupies an area similar to an area occupied by said qualifying element that is being replaced.

24 . A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for repairing timing violations, the computer program product comprising:
code for analyzing a circuit for the presence of at least one timing violation; code for identifying at least one endpoint corresponding to said timing violation; and code for identifying at least one circuit element associated with said endpoint wherein said element can be replaced to repair said timing violation.

25 . The computer program product of claim 24 further comprising:
code for replacing said element with said de-raced element.

26 . The computer program product of claim 25 further comprising:
code for outputting a repaired circuit.

27 . The computer program product of claim 25 wherein said de-raced element comprises:
a delay element; and an element exhibiting the same functionality as said element to be replaced.

28 . The computer program product of claim 27 wherein said code for replacing said element with said de-raced element further comprises:
code for selectively arranging said delay element according to said timing violation.

29 . The computer program product of claim 24 further comprising:
code for identifying said endpoint associated with a min-time violation as a min-time endpoint.

30 . The computer program product of claim 24 wherein said code for identifying at least one circuit element comprises:
code for identifying an element associated with a min-time endpoint as a min-time element.

31 . The computer program product of claim 29 further comprising:
code for analyzing said min-time endpoint to determine if said min-time endpoint is a qualifying endpoint wherein said min-time endpoint is a qualifying endpoint if said min-time endpoint satisfies a plurality of conditions; and code for identifying an element that corresponds to said qualifying endpoint as a qualifying element.

32 . The computer program product of claim 31 wherein said plurality of conditions comprises:
a condition that requires an endpoint to be an endpoint for a min-time violation, and a condition that requires said endpoint to contain a sufficient time margin so that an insertion of a de-raced element will not introduce a max-time failure.

33 . The computer program product of claim 32 wherein said plurality of conditions further comprises:
a condition that requires said endpoint to not be an endpoint of a circuit element that contains properties such that no other circuit element satisfies said properties.

34 . The computer program product of claim 31 wherein said code for replacing said element comprises:
code for replacing said qualifying element with said de-raced element.

35 . The computer program product of claim 27 further comprising:
code for placing said delay element of said de-raced element at one or more of:
an input data point of said de-raced state element;
an enable point of said de-raced state element; and
a reset point of said de-raced state element.

36 . The computer program product of claim 31 further comprising:
code for identifying an element that does not correspond to a qualifying endpoint as a non-qualifying element.

37 . The computer program product of claim 36 further comprising:
code for identifying a timing violation associated with said non-qualifying element as a remaining timing violation; and code for repairing said remaining timing violation.

38 . The computer program product of claim 37 wherein said code for repairing said remaining timing violation further comprises:
code for integrating at least one new independent delay element into said circuit to fix said remaining timing violation.

Join the waitlist — get patent alerts

Track US2006048084A1 — get alerts on status changes and closely related new filings.

We store only your email — no account needed. See our privacy policy.